US896624A - Motor-vehicle. - Google Patents

Description

No. 896,624. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908. W. CHRISTIE. MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED I'BB.12, 1908.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORN EYb WITNESSES No. 896,624. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908. W. CHRISTIE. MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1908.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

4% WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.)

No. 896,624. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908. W. CHRISTIE. MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION II'LED FEB. 12, 1 908.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

, INVENTOR BY I? 'fiLATORNEYo WITNESSES! UNITED STATES rAtr NT ()FFICE".-

WALTER CHRISTIE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOW. GOULD BROKAW, OF ARCHDALE, NORTH CAROLINA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Application filed February 12, 1908. Serial No. 415,548.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER CHRISTIE, a citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles, of

which the following is a specification, refer-- ence being had to the accompanying drawings,form1ng a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles,- and particularly to motor vehicles in which both the driving and steer ing is done through the front wheels.

My invention conslsts, first, in a novel arrangement and construction of parts wherein the entlre driving mechanism lncludmg themotor, the transmlsslon gearing and the front wheels may be readily disconnected from the main or body portion of the vehicle, 4

Without the parts, included in the said drivin mechanism being dismantled as'to themselves. In other words, I construct the vehicle, as a whole, in two separate and dis- ,mec ianism portion are fitted together an are ada ted to be secured in place by removable bo ts, and the various llIlkS, levers and pipe connections which necessarily run from one member of the vehicle to the other, are also arranged to be conveniently connected and disconnected for the samepurpose.

My invention also consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of.

parts tending toward the sim lification of the mechanism and toward ren ering the various parts accessible and facilitating the dis-.

' mantlin and reassemblage of the different parts when required.

It is the main purpose of my present invention to provide a vehicle for commercial purposes w ierein thevarious parts may be readily repaired, renewed or replaced in the shortest possible time, so that vehicles will not be out of commission at any time for any long eriod. Where the repairs, changes, or the li e are but small, they may be made directly to the vehicle as a whole without dis- 'mantlin'g the same, or disassociating its members, but where work is involved that will take any considerable time, it is intended that the entire front portion, including the motor, transmission gearing, and front wheels shall be removed bodily, and a similar iece of mechanism substituted therefor. 11 this way, by keeping one or more spare sets of driving mechanisms in the garage, repairs may be conducted leisurely where they are extensive without thereby causin the disuse of the vehicles in their entirety. Furthermore, it will readily be understood that when the front and rear portions are disassociated, the front portions will be very much more easily handled by the1nselves,|owing to the fact that the bulk thereof is in'considerable with respect to the bulk-of the vehicle as a whole. In orderthat my invention may be fully understood, I will now Eroceed to describe an embodiment thereof, aving reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the same, and will then point but the novel features in claims.

In the drawings: Figurel is a view in side elevation of a motor vehicle embodying my invention, a portion of the outer casing of the driving mechanism being broken away in order to show parts contained within the casing. Fig. 2 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in vertical section of the front portion of a vehicle, showing the driving mechanism as removed from the body portion of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a view in partial rear elevation, and partial central, vertical, transverse section through the drivmg mechanism, the plane of the section passing through the axial centers of the said front driving wheels. Fig. 4 1s a top vlew ofthe front part of the vehicle with t 1e casing or hood for the motor and transmission gearing shown in horizontal section. Fig. 5

' IS a similar view but with the parts including the driving mechanism detached from the body portion of the vehicle. Fig. 6 is a detail cross sectional view through a portion of the transmission gearing, the plane of sec tion being substantially upont 1e line 6-6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of certain parts showing the construction which fpermits the motor to be readily removed ro'm engagement with the transmission gearing.

I the front wheels 16.

itself supported by the front whee s 16.

The vehicle, as a whole, comprises two members; the first including a frame Work 10, the carriage body 11 and the rear wheels 12, and the second, including. the motor 13,

transmission gearing 14, frame work 15, and

The firstsaid member, I

will hereinafter referto as the main body portion or member of the vehicle, and the second member, I will hereinafter refer to as the driving mechanism or tractor member of the vehicle. The frame work 10 of the body'portion of the vehicle includes two longitudinally disposed channel lirons ,having forwardly projecting portions 17. These ortions are fitted to rearwardly projecting ugs 18 which form a part of frame work 15 of the tractor member. The lugs 13 are arranged to slide into the forwardly projecting ends of the channel irons 17, and. the said channel iron ends and lugs are provided with corresponding holes for the rece tion of bolts by which the parts maybe 0 amped to ether. For the purpose of giving strengt and rigidity to'ithe structure a lurality of the said bolts and nuts, preferably six for'each side of the vehicle, are employed, the-said bolts passing through the flanges in the web of the channel irons, and through corresponding portions of the saidlugs.

T e lugs 18 of the tractor member are here shown as cast integrally with a hollow cross casing 19 which constitutes a support for the motor 13 and transmission gearin 14, and is The manner of such latter support is as follows:

The casing 19 at opposite ends thereof is provided with upper and lower horns 20 and 21, the said up er horns 20 resting upon srings 22 whic in turn are supported by t e bearing members 23. Thesaid bearing members are provided with upper and lower vertically disposed guiding spindles 24-25 upon which sleeves 26-27- carried. by the said horns 20 and 21 respectively are fitted to slide. I The bearing members 23 are rotatively mounted upon short shaft sections 28 secured t6 the wheels 29, the hub of the wheels 29 being hollowed or dished so as to receive 'portionsof the bearing member 23'and thus tobrmg the point of connectionbetween the horns 20'- 21 and the said bearing members 23 as close as ossible to the centre plane of the wheels. l e connection between the saidv horns and the bearing member, is,as"will be readily understood ,a pivotal. one such as will readily permit the wheels to swing for steerl spindles 2425.

mg purposes about pivots represented by the I it said bea members are further provided with arms 30 which project rearwardl therefrom, the'said arms of oposite whee s being connectedlhy means of k31 whereby the said wheels will be caused to move to ether, such movements being trensmitted t ereto through the medi-.

which is arranged to be moved laterally by I the usual or any desired form of steering gear including a hand wheel 34, a supporting stem 35, a spindle 36 and suitable means for converting rotary movements of the spindle 36 into lateral movements of the arm 33. The connection 37 between the link 32 and the arm 33 is arranged to be readily coupled and uncoupled whereby the said connection may be uncoupled whenever it is desired toremove the tractor member from the body portion of the vehicle.

The motor 13, as before stated, is su ported upon the hollow cross casing 19. n the present instance, the said motor is a four cyllnder internal combustion engine, detail description thereby being unnecessary as the sai engine per 86 forms no part'of the present invention. Attention is called, however, to the fact that the said engine or motor is an entirely self-contained integral structure 'which may be removed bodily from the eas- 'receive them. By merely removing these bolts, the engine or motor may be removed bodily and another one' substituted therefor,

if desired. I

The transmission aring includes shaft 40 arranged inline the engine, the inner end of the said shaft 40 having a reduced portion which is fitted into I um of a link 32'which is pivotally connected the crank shaft 41 of the hollow end of the said shaft 41 such connection forming a bearing for the said shaft at this end. The adjacent ends of the'motor shaft 41 and the transmission gearing shaft 40 are shown in detail on an enlarged scalein .Fig. 7 of the drawings. By an inspection of this figure, it will be seen that the artsare' so arranged and constructed that t 'ey maybe assembled or disassembled .by merely placing-them together or pulling them apart,

ence removal of the motor in its entirety will in no way be im eded by reasonof the normal connection t erewith. of the transmission gearing shaft. When the bolts which secure the motor to the casing are removed, it isonly necessary to pull the motor longitudinally away from the transmission gearing including the shaft 40 in order to free it entirely from the said mechanism. At itsopposite end, the'said shaft 40 is provided with a ball bearing 42 which is supported in a housing 43, formed'as a part of, or secured to the hollow cross casing 19. At its inner end, the said shaftj40'carries the expanding member 44 of a clutch 45, the other memb er'of which is comprised in the fly wheel of the engine. The said clutch is operated by such neutral position.

means of a sliding collar 47 arranged u on the shaft 40, the said collar being en age by one arm of a bell-crank lever 48, t e other arm of which is connected by a suitable link connection 49 with a pedal 50.

Mounted upon the shaft 40 intermediately between its ends, and within the housing 43, are two gear wheels 51 and 52. These gear wheels are secured together and are rotatively mounted upon the said shaft 42, but they are splincd to the said shaft 42 whereby they may slide freely thereon'in a longitudinal direction. Such longitudinal movements are imparted to the said gear wheels by means of a sliding member 53 which is provided with a downwardly projecting arm engaging a cylindrical groove in a hub of the said gear wheels, the said slidin member 53 being engaged by one arm of a ell-crank lever 54, the other arm of which is connected by a suitable link connection 55, with a change speed and reverse lever 56. The gear wheels 5] and 52 are shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings in a neutral position with respect to two gear wheels 57 and 58 with which they are adapted to engage when moved in one direction or the other from When 'moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, the gear wheel 51 will be caused to engage the gear wheel 57, and because of the relative size of the two said gear wheels, relatively slow movements will, be imparted to the intermediate shaft 59 upon which the gear wheels 57 and 58 are mounted. When, on the other hand, the

gear wheels 5152 are moved over to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, the gear wheel 52 will be caused to intermesh with the gear Wheel 58, and relatively faster movements.

will be im arted to the said intermediate shaft 59 owlng to the fact that the ear wheel 52 is larger than the gear 51, an the gear wheel 58 is'smaller than the gear wheel 57. As before stated, however, the gear wheels 51 and 52 are when in the position shown in F ig. 3 of the drawings in a neutral 'osi-tion. They are arranged to be in this posltion when it is desired to disconnect the gear wheels altogether, or when it is desired to transmit reverse movements of drive from the shaft 40 to the intermediate shaft 59. For this purpose, an idler gear 60 is arranged in proximity to the gear wheels 51 and 57 bein normally out of mesh therewith. The sai ear wheel is mounted upon a stub shaft 61 w ich is carried by an arm 62 the said arm being supported upon a rock sh nected bysuitable links and levers includin a connectin link 64 with the change spec and reverse ever 56. By a proper manipulaticn of this lever, the shaft 63 may be rocked so as to throw the idler gear into mesh with the gear wheels 51 and 57 at such time as the gear wheels 51 and 52 are in their neutral position." This willh-ave the efiectof said intermediate shaft 59.

aft 63 which is conconnecting the gearingin such a way as Itlotransmit slow rearward movements to Mounted upon the shaft 59 and secured fast to the gear wheels 57 and 58 is a pinion 65 which is arranged in constant mesh with a spur driving gear 66. The spur driving gear is mounted upon a casing'67 of any suitable orwell known compensating gearing 68 and through which driving movements are 'im-' parted to the driving wheels 16. The connection between the compensating gearing and the wheels .is throu h universal joint connections 6969 where y the casing may be permitted to have vertical movements such as are permitted thereto by the springs 24, and the said wheels will be permitted to have steerin movements such as are ermitted by t e pivotal connection of t eir bearing members with 'the casing, all without interfering in any way with the drive. Each of the said universal joint connections includes a telescopic.- member 70, a universal joint 71 comprising elements pivoted together by two axles at right'angles to each other, a shaft section 72, and a similar universal joint 73 which'connects with the short wheel shaft sections 28.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the entire driving mechanism including the motor, the transmission gearing, a frame work therefor, and the front wheels of the vehicle, which are combined drivin 7 wheels, is included in a sing e integral selfcontained structure. The links 49, 55 and 64 which connect with the controlling and operating means, may be readily connected and and steering disconnected at will when the tractor memher, as a whole, is desired to be connected or disconnected with the body member of the vehicle, the said tractor member, in its entirety, being shown in Figs. 2 and 5 as disconnected, while in Figs. land 4 it is shown as connected. I i

The radiator 75 for cooling the water for the water jacket of the motor may conveniently be contained in the body portion of the vehicle, suitablehose pipe connection 76 be ing provided therefor such as may be readily connected and disconnected, and it will, of

course, be understood that other pipe connections such as 'may'be conveniently and quickl coupled and uncoupled may be em- 'mounted upon said bearing members, a motor supported upon the said cross casing and transmission gearing including compensating means for connectinglthe said motor the a said wheels, of a main body portion including a frame work and a pair of rear wheels, the

said frame work provided with forwardly projecting channel irons which are" fitted to the rearwardly projecting in s of the cross casing; andmeans for removaily connecting the said lugs and channel irons together.

2. Ina motor vehicle, the combination with a hollowtubular cross casing provided with'vertical bearing sleeves at opposite ends thereof, bearing members having spindles fitted to the said sleeves, and'wheels rotatably mounted upon said bearing members, of a motor, removably supported in its entirety upon the said cross casing, and, transmission gearing including comp'ensatin means for connecting the said motor with the said wheels, the compensating means being contained and inclosed within the said hollow cross casing. v

In a motor vehicle, the combination with a hollow tubular-cross casing provided with horns at its 0 posite ends, the said horns being provide with up er and lower vertical sleeves, bearing mem ers provided with spindles fitted to the said bearing sleeves, springs surrounding the said upper i spindles, and extending between the upper I '30 wheels rotatably mounted upon the said horns andthe bearing members, and driving f bearing members, of an independent self-contained motor removably su ported uponthe said casing at the exterior t ereof, and transmlsslon gearing including a shaft arranged in line with the shaft of the said motor, com en- 'satlng gears dispos'edwithin the said, ho ow tubular casing, and universal joint connectlons connectin the said compensating gears with the said w eels.

4. In a vmotor vehicle, the combination with a hollow tubular cross casing provided with vertical bearing sleeves at opposite ends with the said'wheels.

transmission gearing main body ortion including a frame work and a air 0 rear wheels, the said frame work rovi ed with forwardly projecting channel lIOIlS and the said cross casin having rearwardly rojecti'ng lugs secure thereto; and means -or 'removably' connecting the said lugs and channel irons together.

5. A motor vehicle comprising two independent separable members, one including the body portion of a vehicle, a frame work, a pair of rear wheels, and operating means ineluding a steerin device, levers and pedals, and the other inc uding a frame work adapted'to be removably secured to the frame work of the body portion, a motor, a pair of combined steering and driving wheels, and transmission gearing including a ehange speed device, reverse gear, a clutch, and meansconnecting with the wheels for imparting steering movements thereto, the said change speed device, reverse gear, clutch, and steering means each having an element adapted to be, removably connected with the operating parts carried by the said body portion of the vehicle.

6. In' a motor vehicle, the combination with a hollow tubular cross casing provided with horns at its opposite ends, the said horns being provided wit sleeves, bearing members provided with spindles fitted to the said .bearing sleeves, and wheels rotatably mounted upon the said bearing members, 0 a motor removably sup orted in its entirety upon the said cross casmg, a gearing shaft arranged in line with the shaft of the said motor, a clutch between the two said shafts, sliding gears mounted upon the said gearing shaft, an intermediate shaft, gears thereon adapted to be engaged by the said sliding gears, compensating earing d1s-.

posed within theflsaid hollow tu ular'cross casing, a gear connection between the said upper and lower vertical compensating gearing and the said interme diate shaft, and universal joint connections connecting the said oompensatmg gearmg WALTER CHRISTIE.

I Witnesses: v

; W. G. BROKAW,

D..I;I0WARD HAYWOOD.

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